Mary Alice Leeman, née Rasche, age 98, passed away at Pacific Coast Manor on January 5, after battling dementia for fifteen years. She was born to Eva and Francis Rasche on May 11, 1927, in Milwaukee, WI, where she was raised a devout Catholic. Mary studied Philosophy and Latin at Marquette University in Milwaukee and then taught high school Latin and English. She later pursued a Master of Library Science at University of Wisconsin, Madison, where she met the love of her life and future husband Richard (Dick) Kendall Leeman who received a doctorate in Comparative Literature.

Moving from the Midwest to Northern California and back again several times, they grew their family of five children while Dick taught at various colleges and universities. In the late 1950s Mary studied Montessori in Connecticut and Dick and Mary, along with two other couples, opened a Montessori Preschool in Santa Clara. Years later, Mary operated a small preschool called Magic Years out of their home in Soquel, CA, where she used Montessori techniques as well as teaching music, drama and science. Mary led Magic Years for almost 20 years, retiring to Montevalle in Scotts Valley with her husband in 2001, where she found joy and fellowship with neighbors, sang in the choir, and hosted progressive dinners.

Mary and Dick were active members of Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Santa Cruz, where Mary started a daycare for worshipping families, was a communion minister to the homebound, and made lifelong friends in her Small Faith group. To those who knew her, Mary is remembered for her nonjudgmental love of people, her faith in action, her luminous smile and her regular humming!

Mary will be greatly missed by her five children, Joseph of La Selva Beach, CA, Thomas (Cara) of Wheaton, IL, Pastor Francis (Linda) of Plainfield, IL, Catherine Starr (Ron) of San Francisco, CA, and Richard (Michelle) of Salinas, CA.; her grandchildren, Luke Leeman, Joanna (Steven) Rodriguez, Olivia Starr, Antonia and Aaron Leeman; and great grandchildren, Caedmon, Esther, Immanuel and Remy Rodriguez; and nephews and nieces, friends and neighbors. Mary outlived both her beloved husband and her siblings, Francis Rasche and Catherine Abraham.

A celebration of Mary’s life will be held at 1 PM on Wednesday, February 4th, at Star of the Sea Church, 515 Frederick St., Santa Cruz. Contributions in Mary’s memory can be made to New Life for Haiti, P.O. Box 33, Plainfield, IL, 60544, or to Catholic Charities Diocese of Monterey, 922 Hilby Ave., Suite C, Seaside, CA 93955.